Tag Archives: organization

Keeping Up with Housework – 7 Practical Tips to Apply Today

We are constantly being asked around The Busy Mom how we get “it” all done.  Well first, we don’t, no matter how you define “it.”  I am in a season where I have little margin and I have to choose to use every minute wisely.  When I don’t, my house is what pays the price.  Now I’m not setting expectations of having a spotless or sterile environment – believe me, I’m not shooting for the stars!  I’m talking about a healthy, clean living environment, stewarding well what I have to manage.  I wish I could say this busy-bess would end soon, but it likely won’t, so I have to apply a few tips to keep my sanity and manage my home well.  I have given up on getting it all done, but there are a few things I do at my house to keep it livable!

keeping-_up_housework

Own less stuff.

Truly, go through and relentlessly purge your belongings (or schedule or responsibilities). This is the best first step. The less you have, the less there is to manage.  And if you are frustrated that you can’t keep a reasonably clean house, that just may mean that you have too much to manage in your current set of circumstances.  Right?  If you could manage it, you wouldn’t be reading this!

You may have too much stuff to manage, or just too much stuff to manage with 3 small kids and a part time job, or just too much stuff to manage with a traveling soccer schedule, or just too much stuff to manage with a husband who works 65 hours a week, or too much stuff to manage with a chronic health problem, etc.  If you truly can’t get it done, there’s too much “stuff” of some sort. I’m not criticizing any of those things, just pointing out that your set of circumstances is the reality in which you need to function well. I homeschool two kids, work part time and have a husband who has long work hours and chronic health problems, meaning he has little left to offer in the cooking and cleaning department. That is my reality, and I have determined what I needed to do to live well in it. But I can assure you, if you just have more belongings than your space will allow, it’s time to pack stuff up and move it out.

Make a list and post it.

Waking up with an expectation of what is to be done will set your mind in that direction first thing as opposed to waiting until you think about it.  If you’re like me, I don’t think about it until I’m dragging already and that never works out well!  Or worse, busy days go by and I don’t think about it at all. But if I have a list and stick to it, then when something comes up one day that prevents me from accomplishing whatever is on the list for that day, it doesn’t matter because I’m generally on track and can miss a day here and there.

When I’m successful, it’s because I make a list of what needs to be done weekly (like bathrooms, floors, etc.) and divide the list into chores assigned to certain days, adjusting for seasonal sports, Bible study and homeschool coop schedules. Then I purpose to obey my schedule because I’m a nerd and things like that work for me. I have no need to waste my limited brain power reinventing the list every day and no need to spend money on a beautiful notebook in which to write the same things over and over.  Type it up, print it off and tape it to the frig. or put it on your bulletin board.

Use your non homeschooling or non working days to catch up.

If I spend some chunks on Saturdays or Sunday afternoons cleaning, I can rest during the week when I’m trying to work around schooling the kids. Using those weekend “rest” days to manage my house actually allows me to better handle the busier weekdays, so my general level of rest is much more consistent as it is spread a bit over each day.  Since Jesus isn’t legalistic, I think this is okay with Him. If I use 60 minutes on Sunday cleaning, then I have ten minutes 6 other days to spend in the word, so my day of rest is spent “resting” with Him in the season in which He has placed me using my time to manage my home well.

Streamline your system.

It takes time to get cleaning supplies out and put them away.  Wrapping up the vacuum cord and kicking stuff out of the way to get it in the hall closet takes a few minutes each time.  Eliminate chore transitions to save time. Clean all the bathrooms on the same day while you have the supplies out, vacuum everything on the same day to eliminate that take-out and put-away time, round up all the sheets to wash and grab your hubby or child to help you put them all back on at the same time.

Work yourself out of a job.

Most children are much more capable than we give them credit for.  Look at your chore list and turn chores over to them.  Kids should be doing all that they are capable of doing! They don’t learn anything responsible by creating the tornado with no obligation to help clean it up.

Just do it.

Don’t spend ten minutes every hour killing time on your phone or computer.  (Yes, I’m talking to myself!) That can add up to 2 entire hours of lost productivity over the course of a day! When you’re tempted to sit down and veg, make the choice to keep moving.  You can sit now or you can sit once the kids go to bed, but if you are a homeschooling mom and want to stay on top of your house, chances are good you can’t sit both times.

Know the difference between clean and picked up, and set your expectations wisely.

“Clean” means I’ve vacuumed, wiped, scrubbed or sprayed something.  “Picked up” means all things are put in their place.  I have children.  I don’t strive for “picked up” constantly, or maybe ever.  I don’t believe it’s realistic in a homeschooling home.
I regularly push toys out of the way with the running vacuum cleaner, because legos or hot wheels look a whole lot nicer on my floor when they’re not mixed with dust bunnies!  A pile of mail doesn’t seem nearly as offensive when the counter on which it sits isn’t scattered with bread crumbs. Socks, shoes, flashlights and all manner of random child paraphernalia on the side of my staircase are much less bothersome when the stairs are freshly vacuumed.  That’s the difference between clean and picked up.  My goal is clean. I gave up on picked up as soon as my second tornado child could move.  I’ll raise my bar when she moves out.

 

If keeping up with your house is a struggle for you, I’d encourage you to pick just one of these and start today.  I need to get my list updated for this new season and get it on the frig.  Which of these is the most applicable for you today? Let’s start together!

Homeschooling without a Dedicated School Room

When I first started homeschooling I dreamed of having a dedicated homeschool room. I imagined all the fun and learning that would take place in our little school room each morning. Then reality set in and I realized that I live in a tiny apartment with no extra space and I needed to figure out a way to make do!  A few organization pieces go a long way to making everything feel more organized and less cluttered.

standard classroom interior

Staying Organized without a Dedicated Homeschool Room

I have found that I don’t need much to make school time work without having a dedicated space, but these are three essentials: Continue reading

The Busy Mom’s Fall Menu and Planning PRINTABLE!

menu_screenshot

SO, it’s here. School has started. Time for routine, time for a new schedule, time to get.this.train.moving.

Every year, I make a different printable to motivate my houseful of—ummm—eager helpers.

This year, I’ve switched things up a bit by including three smaller sections on my printable planner. I’ve also added a space for you to assign laundry to different people on different days.  As our kids get older, I’ve given them their own days to do their own laundry. If your kids are little, it might be a place for you to assign a room or something like “bedding” on a particular day. Do what works for you. Be creative! Stress down.

Also, while the menu thing is a big deal—try not to overcomplicate it. There’s a line there… just one—because that’s all you need to write the word “spaghetti” or “chili” or “cereal.”  Here’s the thing: just knowing that you’ve got what you need in the fridge and have a plan in place will save you tons of time and emotional energy.

Hey. The life you save might be your own! Honestly! When I I have a meal plan, my life is a whole lot less stress-filled. I use my crockpot religiously, too. 🙂  Just in case you’re wondering.

You can do this, busy moms! Feel the rush of routine. And then, buckle up! We’re off to a new school year!

Download your Menu/Shopping/Laundry printable here!

In case you missed it, here’s my complete menu printable from last year, too!

BONUS:  THE BUSY MOM’S CHORE CHART!

Yep. I’m “that mom.”

Onward, brave mother!
signature-heidi

Time to Start Again

start again new year

You ever find yourself at the tail of end of a New Year’s Eve, pondering the exiting year, and wishing you had a DO OVER?

*Yes, my hand is in the air, too.*

2013 may have begun well, but it certainly didn’t feel like it ended well. I find myself floating through this year change listlessly and desperately needing to regroup.

Time to Start Again

While many take time at the beginning of a new year to make resolutions or bucket lists, (and I have done both,) I find the clean calendar page full of possibility, hope, and best of all – a fresh start. Every year I take a little bit of time to evaluate the previous year and take some notes for the new year. Whether you had a great year or you’re glad 2013 is gone, maybe you’ll benefit from a reboot, too.

Leave the past in the past…but learn from it.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5: 17, ESV) 

No matter how I failed in the previous year, the above verse reminds me that in Christ, I have been made new; I am no longer subject to my human faults and failures, but to Christ. In him and through him I am continually becoming a new creation. I must remember that it’s not anything on do on my own in my own strength. To let go of the old me and embrace the new me, I must remain in Christ!

As I look over the past year, I take assessment but I don’t dwell on it. I can’t change past anyway. What I can do is learn from it so that I can do better in the new year. So before anything else, I take last year to the Lord in prayer. I ask Him to show me what I need to change, and I leave it at his feet. I gotta let it go. I can’t take it with me.

new year start

Write out some plans for the New Year.

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” (Prov. 19:21 ESV)

I could make all sort of plans for the new year but I may or may not be able to see them through if I don’t first ask the Lord if those plans are things that he wants me to do. In fact, yes, I’ve done that, too (making all sorts of plans without running them by Him first!)

Before I convince myself that this is the year that I’m finally going to be the perfect mom (and then fail again), I need to ask God what things HE wants me to work on. Am I doing what I can to fulfill the purposes God has for me? If not, what reasonable, specific, changes do I need to make to serve the Lord how he wants me to serve? Do I need to spend less time on the computer, more time at home, make cleaning more of a priority? What do I need to do? What’s getting in the way? What do I need to change? Lord, open my eyes and let me see what needs to be done. 

 Take one day at a time.

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matt. 6:34 ESV)

Yes, the new year is indeed a new, fresh, clean, lovely start. But I can’t live the whole year out all at once! I can only deal with today in today. So often I’m ready to make all those specific changes right now, but I can’t. Likewise, if I try to start working on everything I need to change all at once, I can quickly become overwhelmed and burn out.

Lord, what do you want me to start with first, what should I do today, this week, this month? Change happens one step at a time, one habit at a time, one sacrifice at a time. Prayerfully, I consider what goals I need to set for this week and month, and which things I need to start working on now. Then it’s time to start doing those things.

We can change; we can start again.

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV) 

So often this verse is used like a victory charge, focusing on the “I can do all things” portion more than the “through him who strengthens me” part. But look at the verses that come before it — Paul is telling us he has learned the secret for being content and thriving in life regardless of the circumstances. That secret is that we *can* do all these things because of *Christ* – He gives us the strength to do them. In our own strength, we don’t succeed at overcoming the challenges of life very well, but in His strength we can overcome them and be content and thrive, too. 

*So whether you’re looking at 2013 and realizing you need to spend more time with your kids, or more time working, or more time on cleaning…

*Or whether you’re looking at last year and feeling convicted to serve more, give more, or love more…

*Or if you’re evaluating 2013 and finding your quiet time and prayer time lacking because you need to rise earlier or feeling like your attitude is suffering because you go to bed too late…

Whatever it is that God is putting on your heart to change this year, he can and will equip you to make those changes when you look to him for wisdom and strength. The fact that we may have failed in some areas last year is moot because 2013 is gone, and all we can do is start over today for 2014.

Do you need a reboot for the new year? Are you not sure where to start? Start by taking it to God and asking him where HE wants you to start. Be specific. And then just do it: start again.

For more posts about how I evaluate year changes, browse my New Year posts on Classic Housewife.

Image Source: Head in Her Hands by George Hodan

How Many Sweaters Does One Woman Need?

Decluttering Your Wardrobe with the Change of Season

I am awesome at living on auto-pilot.

Sometimes it’s the good kind (emptying the dishwasher as soon as I get up in the morning), and sometimes . . . not so much.

Like when I’m standing in my closet and something soft and fuzzy falls on my head. I look up (after recovering from my small heart attack) to see that the teetering stack/pile of sweaters has finally tipped and fallen.

I think, “Where did I get all those sweaters?”

And I really don’t know the answer to my question.

Some were gifts, some were bargains, and some were hand-me-downs from well-meaning friends who lost or gained weight.

And then there are some that I’m pretty sure just appeared.

Really, I don’t understand how I collect so many sweaters. (Or sauce pans. Or children’s books. Or wooden spoons.)

So I look for natural bumps in my road.

Changing seasons are wonderful bumps. There’s nothing like walking out the door in short sleeves on the first chilly day of fall to help me break out of my auto-pilot reverie.

I love the motivation of a seasonal clothing changeover to help me declutter my closet.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t love it in a yay-oh-yay-another-excuse-to-ORGANIZE-something way. More of a how-in-the-world-did-I-end-up-with-all-these-sweaters way.

I have a few tricks I’ve come up with over the years that help me break through the angst that happens whenever it’s time to decide which sweaters stay and which ones go.

1.  Only Keep What Fits . . . in the Drawer

This is such a simple concept, but it’s one that took me a long time to truly grasp.

I need limits. A drawer is a natural limit.

I fill the drawers with my favorites first. Once the drawer is full, my decision is made. It’s so much easier to part with the ones that won’t fit into the drawer because I have already prioritized them.

2. Only Keep What Fits . . . Me

I’m going to blame it on the years of pregnancies, but I tend to keep things that I’m pretty sure I might fit into again.

Someday.

When I’m at a weight that doesn’t feel like me, it’s hard to part with an item of clothing in the size I think I should be. But heading into a new season means that even if (IF) I started working out and eating right today, I probably wouldn’t fit back into it before the weather changed again.

And if it has already been a year or two since I wore it . . . it likely won’t be in style next fall.

3. Only Keep What Fits . . . My Personality

I lived for many years as the Dream Friend for people who wanted to clean out their homes.

Don’t need that fishing pole? Give it to Dana. Replaced your curtains? Give the old ones to Dana.

Right.  I saw the “beauty” and “potential” in every random item other people didn’t want.

But as their homes cleared out, mine became more and more cluttered. As I switch out clothing for the new season, I pay extra attention to each item that I didn’t personally buy.

Do I love it? Do I actually wear it?

I used to keep hand-me-downs out of guilt. My friend had entrusted me with something that she wanted to have a good home!

Except that she didn’t want it in her home, so it couldn’t have been that special. I only have room (and mental energy) for the things that I love and can use in my home.

Do you use the changing season as an opportunity to declutter your wardrobe?

Heidi St John Guide to Daylight

Organizing your Homeschool {Blog Hop}

homeschooling

When I first began homeschooling, the most challenging thing for me was figuring out how I was going to do “that” on top of all my other household responsibilities. I saw all those “other moms” who looked like that had it all together—and I felt less than qualified. After all, I didn’t bake my own bread from wheat that I grew and ground into flour.  I didn’t have the uniform. And I didn’t speak the language.

I soon figured out that I was right to be a little nervous.  Homeschoolers, as it turns out, DO have a language all their own.  The trick, though, is to learn to speak your language. And that takes time.

Last month, after much reluctance, I wrote a series on homeschooling. I was reluctant, because I’ve learned that homeschool moms like me are easily guilted into thinking we’re doing it wrong. I don’t want to share our strategies and them have them become someone else’s burden (if that makes any sense.) Truthfully, we’ve tried just about every method and schedule out there from year to year.  Why? Because things move at the speed of life.  And you’ve got to be flexible and move with them if you’re going to stay in the game long term.

Homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint. You wouldn’t just sign up for a marathon without training and planning, would you? Homeschooling is the same way. It requires some up front planning and thought, but once you get the hang of what generally works for you, you’ll just change it up and essentially repeat the process the next year.

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Don’t worry about failure. Keep trying until you find a rhythm that works for you and your family.  Here are my five “essentials” to getting organized for a new year of homeschooling.  Click on the image to read the entire post.

Five Essentials

Need more encouragement and ideas?  You might like:

You can do this!
signature-heidi

Read all of the posts “Organizing Your Homeschooling” on these blogs! And read all about the Blog Hop going on HERE!

deliveringgrace   lisa_blog hop piccie  raisingarrows    raisingmightyarrows   OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Heidi St John Guide to Daylight

Organizing Your Meals {Blog Hop}

meals

I used to dread dinnertime. For me, around 4pm is the hour that I want to throw in the towel and just quit being a mom.  Unfortunately, it’s also the time my kids start asking for dinner.  Why do they want dinner every.single.night? So, like all good moms, I check Facebook and see all the great dinners that all those “other” moms are making for their families.  And then, I feel inadequate.  Can you relate?

dinner

Lucky for my family, I’ve become a huge fan of slow cooking.  I use it all summer, too, for things like pulled pork and slow cooked mac-n-cheese.   I’m not much for menu planning but I will say this: when I do it, I’m so glad!  It makes my life so much easier!  Menus really only take about half and hour to put together, and VOILA! Your brain is free to do other things, like remember to take the toddler to the bathroom on the hour.

So, here are my three top tips for organizing your meals:

  1. Have a plan.
  2. Use your slow cooker.
  3. Enlist your children to help.  (See my chores post from yesterday.)

A few of my favorite recipes for slow cooked meals are:

Chalupa
Chicken Curry (Made Simple!)
15 Bean Soup (pressure cooker version)
Split Pea Soup

LUNCH:

If your kids are home for lunch like mine are, keep simple things around to make simple, healthy lunches.  We almost always have leftover dinner for lunch, so I like to make sure we have extra at dinnertime. Here are some ideas for easy lunches:

  • Quesadillas
  • Sandwiches
  • Grilled cheese and canned tomato soup
  • Leftovers!
  • Mini-pizzas on english muffins (a favorite at our house)
  • Anything pre-made from Costco (our kids like corn-dogs, which are not very healthy but great in a hurry)

Try making a menu and see if it makes a difference in your stress level.  Need a menu planner?  Download mine if you’d like and remember, keep it simple!  Find a few meals that you enjoy making and use them frequently if you’d like.  If you can make it and the family enjoys it, who cares if every Tuesday is TACO TUESDAY?

MenuPlanner

Download your free printable menu below—be patient, it might take a minute to load 🙂

tbm-mug-button-download

 

You’ve Got This,
signature-heidi

 

Read all of the posts “Organizing Your Spiritual Life Posts” on these blogs! And read all about the Blog Hop going on HERE!

deliveringgrace   lisa_blog hop piccie  raisingarrows    raisingmightyarrows   OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Heidi St John Guide to Daylight